SA Xenophobic attacks: Close your shops for now – Gov’t to Ghanaian nationals

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Charles Owiredu has advised Ghanaian nationals owning shops in South Africa, especially those dotted around the hotpots in the xenophobic insurrection to avoid such places for now.

“If you have shop around such places, please for the time being close your shops until the tensions are eased in the territory. We’re hoping that the measures that the south African government has put in place will calm tension,” he said in an interview with host Kweku Owusu Adjei on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 Fm.

He said reports gathered from the Ghana High Commission indicates the security situation in that country is calm and returning to normalcy.

According to him, no Ghanaian has so far been a victim in the xenophobic attacks, while Ghanaian-owned shops or interests have also been spared in the attacks in South Africa.

Black natives in South Africa have for the past week taken to looting and burning of shops owned by other nationals in Pretoria and Johannesburg.

South African police have arrested dozens of the protestors who claim immigrants, especially Nigerians are taking over their jobs and selling illicit drugs.

Meanwhile, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has reacted to xenophobic violence in parts of the country condemning the incidents as unacceptable and without any justification whatsoever.

In a video posted on his personal Twitter handle, Ramaphosa stressed the importance of restoring peace and security as quickly as practicable.

“I condemn the violence that has been spreading around a number of our provinces in the strongest terms,” he said.

He added that he was convening all ministers in the security cluster today to make sure that a very close eye was kept on what he described as “acts of wanton violence” and find ways of stopping them.

Ramaphosa said it was not right for locals with grievances to attack other nationals. He tasked security forces for their efforts at restoring order in Kwa Zulu Natal and Guateng provinces.